Chelsea player ratings: Levi Colwill steps up when needed most but Cole Palmer well off the boil as he hits new low
CHELSEA reverted to winning ways as they smashed Southampton 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella set the Blues on their way to victory.
It ended a run of three straight defeats in all competitions.
Chelsea had lost twice to Brighton, including once in the FA Cup, before suffering a late defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday.
And victory came after fans held a protest on the Fulham Road, with banners taking aim at Todd Boehly and BlueCo.
The result saw Chelsea move back into fourth to keep their Champions League dream alive.
Just four points separate them from 10th-place Villa.
And Chelsea will be hoping to build some momentum in their next games against Copenhagen and Leicester.
But who was Chelsea’s best player on the night?
Was there someone on the bench who did enough to impress boss Enzo Maresca?
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
And did anyone have a game to forget despite the result?
Here, SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield delivers his Chelsea player ratings against Southampton…
FILIP JORGENSEN – 6
He’s no Petr Cech or Thibaut Courtois, but he recovered from his Villa Park howler with a clean sheet against the Saints.
Fans are still not convinced by the Dane, and groans echoed around the ground when he got the ball at his feet – though they were grateful for him when he made a cat-like save to deny Onuachu in the first half.
If you gave them a chance they’d probably take on-loan Petrovic back from Strasbourg, the Serbian stopper has three clean sheets in his last three – typical.
MALO GUSTO – 6
Put in a fantastic challenge on Sulemana early in the second half, which was symbolic of his aggression on the right side of defence tonight.
Defended well throughout the game, but perhaps could’ve offered more from an attacking point of view as Reece James often does.
Chelsea will be pleased to see him improve though as two performing right-backs in this side is essential.
TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 8
‘Uncle Tosin’ as he is affectionately known in the dressing room, was imperious in the air at the back for the Blues.
He rose highest to flick the ball on to Christopher Nkunku as Maresca’s men opened the scoring in the first half, as well as saving Chelsea at the back early on in the game.
His second half showing was equally as solid, and he has been a more than important signing from local rivals Fulham this campaign.
LEVI COLWILL – 9
Marking 6ft 7inch giant Paul Onuachu is no easy feat no matter how good you are, but Chelsea’s own Levi Colwill did that job pretty well.
It was a necessary assured performance from the man touted as a future club captain after a few sloppy showings.
He stepped into his challenges brilliantly and scored a powerful header to add a third to Chelsea’s tally in the first half.
MARC CUCURELLA – 9
Chelsea’s pantomime villain has made the inverted fullback role his own under Enzo Maresca, and is one of the best in the Premier League at doing that job.
Intercepted numerous Southampton passes into midfield and progresses the Blues so well down the left, playing a vital role in Chelsea’s second goal doing exactly that.
Topped off an almost perfect night with a fantastic finish into the bottom right corner to totally kill the game off.
Gets a bonus point for his penguin celebration…
MOISES CAICEDO – 8
A pretty regular night by his standards, though the standards of a £115m midfielder are pretty lofty.
The Ecuadorian was combative in midfield, working tirelessly to consistently win the ball back in Chelsea’s midfield as N’Golo Kante once did before him.
While he is controlled on the ball and looks more than comfortable with it at his feet, it is his off-the-ball work which really sets him apart from other defensive mids in this league.
ENZO FERNANDEZ (C) – 8
Probably Chelsea’s most creative player in the first half, Enzo played a deeper role than he has the past two games and was arguably robbed of two assists by Cole Palmer.
The Argentine was Chelsea’s midfield metronome, setting the tempo for his side and keeping attacks flowing smoothly throughout.
His only criticism would be a tendency to take one too many touches and occasionally slow down promising breaks for his side.
JADON SANCHO – 4
A pretty quiet showing from him on the right wing tonight, with Nkunku occupying his usual spot on the left.
Had a few flashes of good footwork as he always does, and wasn’t bad by any means but it didn’t look like the electric Jadon Sancho we saw when he first joined.
He will surely welcome the return of Nicolas Jackson or Marc Guiu when they are back, as he looked a little lost without a real target to aim for with crosses into the box.
COLE PALMER – 2
It’s tough to write this, but it looks as though Cole Palmer has gone well and truly off the boil at the moment.
The usually ever-reliable goal scorer missed THREE huge first-half chances which could’ve seen his side 6-0 up at half-time, and looked devoid of confidence after rolling the third wide.
There is no doubt among fans that he will be back, as they sung his name loud and proud, but it looks like he’s in need of one of those moments of magic to re-ignite the spark in that fantastic left foot of his.
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU – 8
The Frenchman popped up at the back post after a Chelsea corner to deflate Southampton’s hopes of a result at Stamford Bridge within 25 minutes.
Just 10 minutes later his perfectly weighted pass for Neto saw an assist added to his performance too.
This game should give him a much needed confidence boost ahead of Copenhagen and Leicester where he will expect to have his blue balloon out once more.
PEDRO NETO – 8
What could’ve been a tough night for Neto turned into a brilliant one when he smashed the ball past Aaron Ramsdale and into the back of the net in the first half.
The Portuguese winger was playing up front in the absence of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, and got his just reward after working his socks off throughout the night.
Also claimed an assist with a whipped free-kick perfect for Levi Colwill to power home.
SUBS
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Pedro Neto, 68) – 5
Helped regulate the Chelsea midfield as they played without a striker when he came on, but ultimately didn’t impact the game much.
Tyrique George (Jadon Sancho, 68) – 7
Cobham star Tyrique George followed up a bright showing at Brighton with a first Premier League assist and tricky performance on both wings at times after coming on.
There wouldn’t be many complaints from home supporters if he was given a start over Jadon Sancho against Copenhagen or Leicester.
Josh Achaempong (Christopher Nkunku, 83) – 5
Didn’t have much to do at the back after coming on as Chelsea were dominant until the end.
Mathis Amougou (Moises Caicedo, 83) – 5
Like Acheampong, did not have enough time to make an impact.
Shim Mhueka (Enzo Fernandez, 87) – 6
Almost scored with his first touch after coming on at the death to make his debut, but his header was denied by Ramsdale.
Having watched him shine for the academy this season, you can rest assured this guy is a striker to look out for and don’t be surprised to see him given further chances this season.